Shank stiffener



Patented Apr. .27; 1926v UNITED srA'res lPafrairrf orFlCiE'. f

ROBERT D-AVIS, OE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,- ASSIGNOR TO BROOKLYN BOX TOE COM- PANY, OF BROOKLYN', NEW YORK, A- CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. l

Ystrana: STIFENER.

Application led December 22, 1924. Serial No. 757,356.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT DAvIs,.a cit-if '/.en of the United States, residingl at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shank Stift'eners, of which L the following is a' specification.

This invention relates to arch supporters for shoes of nthat type in which a leather member provided with a spring stifener is arranged between the inner and outer sole to prevent collapse of the arch.

The ohjeet of the present invention .is to provide the member witha cut-out portion at' its forward end so that it will lie 'Hat at the arch curve which joins that portion of the sole where the ball of the foot is supported.

Heretofore, in arch supporters of the kind described the forward part of the member had aiv tendency to bulge or wrinkle especially when the glue or cement by which is was'fastened to the sole became loosened r,

by moisture permeating between the soles. It is the object of the invention to so shape the front portion of the member that it will provide suflicient surface for eementing to the sole, and at the same time eliminate as much material as possible which may of a shoe embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe arch supporting member.

In 'the drawing is shown anlareh support.

ing member consisting of a heel portion and a forward cut-out portion forming bitureated ends 7. The member is usually cemented between an inner solo 8 and an outer solei) of a shoe. The member is provided with a metal shank 10 so as to stillen it and at thc same time give Ait resiliency to preventibreakdown of thearch part of the shoe.'

As indicated in-Fig. 1 the bifurcated portion of the member is located under the ball of the foot and by reason of the eut-.out or opening it substantially eliminates the straight-forward edge where the pressure ease of flexure at these points and wrinkling of the stitl'ener especially near its border when it is bent will be eliminated. notches also prevent gathering of the material at the side edges caused by llexion at I a predetermined point. By having the lino of le-Xnre near its forward end it relieves the vstrain over the entire stiflener preventing breakage of the ste'el shank and the inherent resiliency of the leather or other material-will cause it toi fly back after the force is removed.

I claim l. A shank stil'ener for shoes comprising a resilient leather member adapted to be positioned between the inner and outer soles, and notches located one opposite the other in. the forward edges' of the member to `permit greater ease of transverse leXure adj acent the metatarso-phalangeal joint.

2. A shank stitfener 'for shoes comprising a. resilient leather member adapted to be positioned between the inner and outer roles provided with forwardly cut out end, and not-ches located'in the forward edges of the member to permit greater' ease, of transverse iiexure adjacent the mctatarso-phalangeal ',joint.

ROBERT DAVIS.

The 

